Seven passengers on Mumbai-Goa train test COVID-19 positive

Seven fresh cases of coronavirus emerged in Goa on Sunday, taking the state tally to 29, informed State health minister Vishwajit Rane. The fresh infection has come from the train that arrived on Sunday from Mumbai.

Panaji (Goa): Seven passengers, who arrived Goa on a train from Mumbai on Sunday, have tested positive for COVID-19, taking the total tally of active cases in the coastal state to 29.

State health minister Vishwajit Rane confirmed that out of 100 samples of the passengers from Mumbai-Goa train seven have tested positive.

The samples are sent to Goa Medical College and Hospital's virology lab for final confirmation, he said.

With these seven cases, the number of COVID-19 cases detected on Sunday has gone up to 16. Overall, there are 29 active cases in the state.

The fresh infection has come from the train that arrived on Sunday from Mumbai.

"All the 29 patients have been admitted to a specially-designated COVID-19 hospital in Margao town," Rane said.

On May 1, Goa was declared as green zone after all the seven COVID-19 patients previously found in the state recovered. However, the coastal state has witnessed a spurt in the number of cases over the last few days.

However, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has claimed that there is no community transmission in the state.

Earlier during the day, six passengers from the Rajdhani Express train that arrived on Saturday have tested positive during the last 24 hours.

Three workers, who were brought to Goa from neighbouring states as part of the resumption of industrial units, have also tested positive, the official said.

During the day, the state tested 1,097 samples that were drawn on Sunday. Of them, 623 tested negative while 13 were found positive, the official from the state health department said.

The state government swung into action after passengers of the Rajadhani Express, which arrived on Saturday, tested positive.

State health minister Vishwajit Rane said the co-passengers, who travelled with the positive patients, have been taken to the institutional quarantine of 14 days.

The state has moved to strengthen its testing facilities by installing additional rapid testing machines at its district hospitals in Margao, Mapusa and sub-district hospital in Ponda.

(PTI Reported)